Games which involve simulated business ventures have been subject to numerous patent applications over the years. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 748,626 describes a game called the "Landlord's Game" and U.S. Pat. No. 2,026,082 describes the popular "Monopoly" game. Other patents in the field include U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,976,044; 3,163,423; 3,198,521; and 3,807,739.
The prior art patents teach games wherein the primary investment is either real estate, stock certificates, or insurance. A disadvantage of these games is that very early in the game the winner could be decided, because when one player falls behind catching up is very difficult.